The Suicide Prevention Taskforce of the Ministry of Public Health met on Monday to work on a comprehensive plan to develop specific interventions, GINA said.
The meeting was the first follow-up session with all the relevant stakeholders since an initial meeting on January 17, 2016 at the Marriott Hotel.
GINA said that Minister in the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings who chaired the meeting, called on all stakeholders to join the Ministry of Public Health and its partners to tackle suicide in Guyana. Addressing stakeholders in the Resource Room of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr. Cummings, she said that, “this is not another talk shop as the issue of suicide is an important public health concern.”
Offering brief remarks prior to the commencement of the working session, Country Representa-tive of the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO) Dr. William Adu Krow said he was happy that the Ministry of Public Health intervened to address the issue. “We definitely have to do something about this issue, and I am glad now that we are doing something about it,” Dr. Adu Krow stated, according to GINA.
PAHO/WHO committed to providing the necessary assistance required by the Ministry of Public Health. GINA said that the organisation has already put together a draft plan of action to address suicides and Dr. Adu Krow committed to sharing it with the Ministry of Public Health.
“At PAHO we thought about this issue and we have something that can be shared with the Ministry, and the Ministry can use that as a template and build,” he stated.
Out of the initial stakeholders meeting, a number of actions were taken which include the creation of a multi-sectoral taskforce. The taskforce comprises representatives of government ministries and agencies, along with civil society and faith-based organisations.
GINA said that the National Suicide Preven-tion Plan 2015-2020 will provide guidance for all sectors.
